Amusement device



April 2, 1946. E. c. HALL 2,397,857

AMUSEMENT DEVICE v I Filed April 30, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet l gwucnim ELL/5 C- HAL L April 2, 1946. E, c. HALL AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed April 50, 1945 e Sheets-Sheet 2 April 2, 1946. E. C. HALL 2 AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed April 30, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 v I L 314mm April 1946 r E. c. HALL 2,397,857

7 AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed April 30, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 grwe/wto'b 514/5 c: 4044 a April 2, 1946. HALL 2,397,857

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed April 30, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet' 5 April 2, 194's. E, c, HALL 2,397,857

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed April 30, 1945 6 sheets-sheet e Patented Apr. 2, 1946 UNITED PATENT 'hrese'nt h vezitiofr relates :to :arhusehieht devices and eepeoiazlly thse '01 the *merflry-f round and FerriswheeP-t a1 sea-16h an lihe :of a plane at'ioh i155 honzorit'a piane;

vi rith th eafiheel disposed .formed "transverse iopeningsqih registry withbone another :either- 10f Twhih ffunctions afSPa d ournal for atrurinion 3. Each itrumaioiiis attachei 'at 20 itsv inner enlarged end Etothe oii tside'o'f tI-ierce'ntral parit of the upper-rend 'Jof the vertical 'Side 4a of-a frame 4. Thefragmentary'top and hottom sides of the framesarefdrmed b'y s'tru't's 5 connecting the central parts of the npperand lower end portions: rpect-ively :o'f 'the lateral frame sides. The central part of eaoh 'strut *is enlafged and apertured to form a jou iri'al fl The outer end of. the right-hand (Figure '4) trunnion 3 protruiing. beyond the outerfsid'e "6f the column =ih vwhich t'he tfiimiion fis-jJournaId, carries a gear iqua'drant fl which fmeshes withm pinion B'on a shaft'9. The left-h'andll' 'igur "4) end portion o -f such shaft- 9 journaled in the adjacentcolumn. The shaft 9 is driven by irieans notshown. v I

In the journals e-dsc'ri'bea i j'ournaled amen-1 shaft H] which has "secilred fto :its' intermediate portion a gear: l -l meshing tv'itha pini'qn 'l2 likewise fastened to the inte 'mediaite 'pertiqn -of -"a shaft 13 journal'e'd at bi hear its eha (Figiife 2) in Struts 14, iormihg the ri-agmentar y gear yv'gu of the rotatable frame 4. To the lower mor tion (Figure-:2). "oft shaft-13 js 'seclired a be'iel geap 1-5 WhiChiIHShGdlWith =b'eve'1 gear Hi .im the shaft of a motor: I fl 'siiipp'orte'd 3'on "the-bottom Wall of the frame (Figili 53).. top end e: the shaft l'3vprojectingorabovve the top frame stzilt ll 55 metrical with respect te the radial make of tfi spoke passing through the axis of the main shaft. On either side of the plane of symmetry is formed in the locking head a rectangular vertically extending opening for receiving a correspondingly shaped generally rectangular locking bolt 2%. Each bolt has a central springrecess 25 extending longitudinally of its bolt and a depth equal to about two-thirds of the length of the bolt. In each recess is a coil spring 26, bearing with its lower end against a disc 21 centrally apertured for insertion of the end of cable 28 which has a knot or other enlargement on the outer side of thedisc and of a size larger than the aperture. The cable passes through the spring and centrally arranged is the plate'29 which closes the top end of the spring recess and constitutes an abutment for the spring.

Each cable passes over a roller 33 arranged upon the top surfac of the spoke of its head and is connected to the other cable of the same head and to a single radial cable 3| which passes over the upper edge of the hollow main shaft and into the same where these cablesare'wound on means not shown.

The bolts have transverse apertures below the spring recesses for shafts 32 having flanges 33 bearing against the locking bolt surface surrounding the shaft opening. Each shaft is secured to.

the front or tail end of an aeroplane the details of which are described below.

The mechanism for locking the bolts in their heads will now be described. In the side of each bolt facing the main shaft I is an arcuate groove 34 adapted to receive an arcuate rib 35'formed on the outer face of a wheel 36, revolvable in a spoke head recess which communicates witha' spring recess and rigid upon the end of a shaft. 3f journaled in thespoke head and extending at right angles to the length of its bolt and carrying a crank handle 38 upon its rearend projecting from the head. When the wheel is turned bythe by the turning of the crank handles of their locking wheels.

The motor in the revolvable frame is started and the wheel carrying the aeroplanes rotates at a certain speed. The centrifugal force developing acts outwardly or away from the main shaft through the center of gravity of each aeroplane and tiltsthe same about the axis of shafts 32 to a position in which its center of gravity lies out- Wardly of such axis. I

By unlocking the bolts and unwinding the cables the aeroplanes may be lowered to the ground to discharge the passengers or the latter may be 3 given the thril1 of riding ina car pivoted between adjacent spokes of a so-called Ferris wheel. In the latter case the bolts are left in their locked condition and the shaft 9 is rotated in a direction to rotate thegear quadrant from the position of Figures 3, 4 to the position of Figure 2 in which the spokes of the wheel lie in a vertical plane.

This rotation of the wheel assembly and frame 3 about the axis of'trunnions 3 may take place while the wheel assembly is rotating about the axis of the main shaft. The first rotation will cause the cars to swing towards and into the plane of the wheel assembly according to the position that a car occupies, i. e. the center of gravity of the four cars in the upper half of the wheel will be located in the plane 'of the wheel and Y within the periphery of the latter which the cen ters of the gravity of the cars in the lower half of the assembly will be located in the assembly plane but outside of the periphery of the wheel. The rotation of the latter about the axis of the main shaft will cause each car to reverse the location of its center of gravity as outlined in the preceding sentence as it passes from the lower half of the assembly to the upper half. This turning of the car as it passes the horizontal plane through the wheel is indicated by the arrow surrounding the upper car in the lower quadrant to the right .(Figure 1).

. spirit and scope of my invention as outlined in the appended claims.

39 equaling in number the number of eight spokes. 7

Each aeroplane having its center of gravity in loaded or unloaded condition below its horizontal trunnion axis of rotation defined by the shafts 32, at the ends, comprises a body equipped in its forward portion with laterally extending Wings 49 and a cockpit H to which a door 42 affords accessand in which a seat 43 is arranged. The body has an upstanding tail 44 and laterally extending tailfins45. V

In order'to reinforce the. base structure de- The detailed above description of the preferred embodiment of my invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, should not be construed .as' a limitation of my invention and changes or modifications of these details of constructions may be resorted to without departing from the WhatI claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1'. A combination merry-go-round and Ferris wheel device comprising a'base, spaceduprights on said base including horizontallydisposed bearings, a frame having trunnion shafts on opposite sides for rotation in the bearings, means on the baseand frame for turning the latter on the trunnion, a wheel assembly journaled in the frame scribed, each columnis connected at its upper end to an inclined brace 46 the lower end of which is secured to the mudsill b.

Ifthe device is to be operated as a merry-goround (Figures 3-5) the bolts are unlocked and the cables are unwound from drumsinot shown) so that the aeroplanes are lowered to and With a short distance to the ground where they may and including a locking portion, locking means be occupied by thrill-seeking persons. The cables are then pulled into'the main shaft and the aeroplanes are raised until the bolts are retracted into their housings whereupon the bolts are locked 'at right angles to the trunnions and including meansfor rotating the assembly in the frame, power means in the frame and geared to the means included in the assembly, and a plurality of aeroplane-like cars each having front and rear trunnions, an equal plurality of pairs of locking supports each having a journal for a car trunnion on the assembly one for each locking support and adapted to lockingly engage the support portion, and extensible means on the assembly one for each locking support for carrying a support in unlocked condition.

2. A combination merry-go-round and Ferris wheel device comprising a base, spaced uprights on said base, a frame journaled for vertical rotation in the uprights, means on the base and frame for turning the latter, a wheel assembly journaled in the frame at right angles to its pivotalrconnection to the uprights and includin means for rotating the assembly in the frame, power means in the frame and geared to the means included in the assembly, a plurality of aeroplane-like cars each having front and rear trunnions, journaled on the assembly in the plane thereof, and extensible means for extending or retracting the cars relatively to the wheel assembly.

3. A combination merry-go-round and Ferris wheel device comprising a base, spaced uprights on said base including horizontally disposed bearings, a frame having trunnion shafts on opposite sides for rotation in the bearings, means on the base and frame for turning the latter on the trunnion, a wheel assembly journaled in the frame at right angles to the trunnions and including means for rotating the assembly in the frame, power means in the frame and geared to the means included in the assembly, and a pluraiity of aeroplane-like cars each having front and rear trunnions, an equal plurality of pairs of locking supports each having a journal for a car trunnion and including a locking portion, locking wheels on the assembly one for each locking support and having a recess for receiving in a certain position a locking portion to lock the support thereof to the assembly, and extensible and retractable lifting members one resiliently secured to each locking support and supported by the assembly.

4. A device of the class described, a base, a wheel, means for mounting the wheel on the base for rotation about the wheel axis and about an axis at right angles thereto, a plurality of aeroplane-like cars having front and rear trunnions defining an axis lying in the plane of symmetry of the cars, releasable means for mounting a, car by its trunnions in the wheel, flexible means for resiliently supporting the releasable means after their release from the wheel, and separate and independent means for rotating the wheel about its own axis or about an axis at right angles thereto.

5. An amusement device comprising a pair of spaced, upright columns, heating means on each column, a frame swingingly pivoted in the bearings and between the columns, means for swinging the frame, journal means in the frame disposed at right angles to the bearings recited, a wheel having an axle journaled in the journal means, aeroplane-like cars releasably journaled in the wheel, and means for lowering the released cars from the wheel and lifting the cars to the wheel.

6. An amusement device comprising a support including spaced uprights, a frame swingably supported between the uprights, means for swinging the frame, a wheel having an axle projecting from its hub and journaled in the frame at right angles to the pivotal support between the frame and uprights, a car releasably journaled on spokes of the wheel, and extensible and retractable supporting means for supporting the car in a plurality of positions relatively to the wheel.

7. An amusement device comprising a support including spaced uprights, a frame swingably supported between the uprights, means for swinging the frame, a wheel having an axle projecting from its hub and journaled in the frame at right angles to the pivotal support between the frame and uprights, a car releasably journaled on spokes of the wheel, and extensible and retractable supporting means for supporting the car in a plurality of positions relatively to the wheel, said car being mounted to revolve on its longitudinal axis and being constructed withthe preponderance of its weight arranged to maintain the car in an upright position.

8. An amusement device comprising a support including spaced uprights, a frame swingably supported between the uprights, means for swinging the frame, a wheel having an axle projecting from its hub and journaled in the frame at right angles to the pivotal support between the frame and uprights, a car releasably journaled on spokes of the wheel, an extensible and retractable supporting means for supporting the car in a plurality of positions relatively to the wheel, said supporting means being resiliently connected to the car to yieldably support it.

9. An amusement device comprising a support including spaced uprights, a frame swingably supported between the uprights, means for swinging the frame, a wheel having an axle projecting from its hub and journaled in the frame at right angles to the pivotal support between the frame and uprights, a car releasably journaled on spokes of the wheel, and extensible and retractable supporting means for supporting the car in a-plurality of positions relatively to the wheel, and locking means for locking the car in engagement with said wheel when the supporting means is in a retracted position.

ELLIS C. HALL. 

